Annals of a Natural
by Prismer
Summary: All Matt wanted was true freedom. But whenhen his life is saved by a Totodile and freedom opens its warming arms to him, what is he going to do? Follow the ten-year-old prodigy as he goes on a Pokemon journey full of non-stop action and self-discovery.
1. Instinct

A jet black sports car zoomed along a road that rested on a picturesque cliff above Tohjo River. The windshield wipers were moving frantically, trying to subdue the torrential downpour that made vision particularly difficult on this new moon night. 10-year-old Matthew Roy gazed out his window from the back seat at the obscure dark abyss beyond the drowned glass with dark green eyes showing a distinct hue of boredom.

He ran a hand through his unnaturally messy black hair habitually and heaved a deep sigh as he looked toward the front seat where his parents were chatting animatedly with his 19-year-old sister who was sitting next to him about her wonderful performance of Alicia Key's _No One_ at the talent contest her college held that night, of which she had placed third as her parents had said for the umpteenth time already.

His eyes shifted to his sister's happy face, jealousy flooding his bored gaze. She was already beginning her own life's path to fulfill her dream of becoming a great singer. She was free to lead her life the way she wanted. However, he, himself, was still a good eight years from graduating. What he wanted to do with his life, he hadn't the slightest idea. Regardless, he wished he could speed up time and start his own life rather than be cooped up in the family home in Pallet Town, having adults run his life. The delectable taste of true freedom seemed as far away from his grasp as it could possibly be. His thoughts were disrupted by a sudden jerk of the car.

"Hold on," his father called from the driver's seat, turning the wheel as far left as it could go. "I'll get us back on the road." Matt, confused by this statement, wiped the window next to him with his hand and peered through the darkness. What met his glance weren't the trees on the other coast, but the jagged edge of the cliff leading to the lakeshore below, unusually parallel to his line of vision. It soon became apparent to him that the car was teetering on the very edge of the cliff.

His father rolled down the window, gasping as the cold rain stung his face and looked back. "As long as that one back wheel stays on top of the cliff, it should be enough to push us back up," he explained, mostly to himself. He withdrew his head and pushed the gas petal as hard as he could. However, the car wouldn't budge. He stopped and looked out again. "Crap, the ground's too wet, it's slipping."

Matt looked out his window again and saw that a few rocks jutted out of the cliff. It seemed stable enough and he nodded to reassure himself. "I'll get out and push," he said and opened the door, despite his mother's plea to stay in the car. He pressed a foot on the stone, but no matter how much pressure he put, the rock would not move. He let his other foot out of the car and stood up. His heart skipped a beat at this uncomfortable situation. There was a roaring sound as the waves licked the cliff more fiercely due to the wind the storm was producing.

His clothes were already soaked from rain and clinging to his body when he gripped the sides of the car and pushed. Mud flew from the airborne wheel, splattering across his blue T-shirt and face. He let go of the car to rub his eyes free of the mud and the wheels stopped turning. "Forget it, Matt, I'll call for a tow truck," his father called after having looked around to see his son covered in mud.

"Alright," Matt replied. His sore eyes squinted as he tried to adjust his blurry vision. However, he couldn't get his eyes clear, so he reached forward, blindly trying to find the door. He leaned forward, realizing it was a bit farther away. He gasped as he felt his feet slip below him. He fell forward, his forehead hitting the rock he was standing on. The last thing he felt was warm blood tricking down his nose as he fell to the water below, unconscious, while his mother's scream roused a flock of bird across the river and they took flight.

---

The sound of bird song filled Matt's ears. He slowly opened his eyes which were instantly flooded in sunlight and he snapped them shut again. His head was beating fiercely in pain. He lifted a sand speckled hand up to his forehead and groaned as he sat up to find himself on a beach. He looked across the river to see the cliff he remembered falling from. Although how long ago that was, he didn't know. In fact, it was a mystery to him how he ended up alive on the opposite shore. As the wind had been pushing the waves into the rocky cliff, it didn't make sense why he hadn't been crushed beneath the water, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

As if to answer his unasked question, a scratchy voice spoke behind him, making him jump. Whatever it was, he couldn't make out what the person had said. He turned around but to his surprise, he didn't see a person looking down on him. Instead, what appeared to be a blue-scaled alligator stood on hind legs about two feet tall and level with the sitting Matt. The Totodile gazed at him with curious eyes; its jaws dropped wide open lazily.

Matt surveyed the Pokemon lamely until something clicked in his brain. "Did you save me?" he asked, to which Totodile began to jump up and down, kicking its arms and legs excitedly, apparently trying to sing. The sight made him laugh a bit before he stood up, wiping sand off his clothes and body. He noticed a few scars on his arms and legs, so he must've suffered to the merciless storm a bit before Totodile came to the rescue. He gazed down at the dancing Pokemon happily, feeling lucky such a friendly Pokemon was there in his time of need.

It was then he remembered how he had come to this predicament and looked up to the road above the cliff. His family's car was no longer hanging on the edge. His stomach lurched with panic for the first time since he had regained consciousness. He just realized he didn't know the condition of the rest of his family. Had a tow truck come by and pulled them back onto the road, or did the car itself fall into the river like he had? The fog of uncertainly made him feel uneasy and he doubled over.

He was also in a bad spot. He knew it would be near impossible for him to climb back up to the road, especially since he would have to swim to the other side. He imagined his wet hands slipping from the rocks and him falling back into the water from a futile attempt. His stomach jumped as he remembered the jolt of fear that shot through his heart when his feet gave away on that stormy night. He looked around and saw that the river stretched to both horizons and a mass of unfamiliar forest was behind him.

He fell back into the sand, feeling light-headed, and his injured forehead certainly wasn't helping matters. Totodile's voice snapped him out of his daze and he looked at the Pokemon to see a pair of concerned eyes looking back. Matt felt comforted knowing it was standing by his side and he patted it on the head. "Totodile, I have to find my way home," he said. "Will you come with me?" Totodile smiled and nodded happily. It seemed a great weight was lifted from Matt's shoulders as he stood up and turned around to walk toward the blanket of trees, with Totodile walking at his feet.

In fact, Matt began to feel unusually happy, despite his predicament, as he walked along the path he had chosen through the lush green vegetation, twigs snapping beneath the weight of his white sneakers. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was living a great dream he couldn't recall. He felt like he could do anything. He felt free. "Come on, Totodile, let's pick up the pace!" he called cheerfully to the amphibious Pokemon at his heels. He set off at a dash, kicking dead leaves and dirt into the air off his shoes, laughing along with the Totodile skipping along gleefully behind him.

It was now about three hours since the duo had left their initial point on that fateful beach. The sun shone bright from above, the warm rays of noon breaking through the branches to lighten up the forest floor. It wasn't until his stomach growled that he realized he hadn't eaten since the talent show. He sat down against a tree and started looking around for something that might be safe to eat. Totodile sat down next to him, but Matt knew it wouldn't know much about the forest, being from the river.

Matt's eyes widened as he looked down at Totodile, noticing that it was panting. He slapped himself on the forehead, sending a pulse of pain through the bruise, at the realization of his mistake. Totodile was an amphibious Pokemon; it couldn't survive on land very long with the inability to sweat. If it had made it this far, there must have been a considerable amount of moisture in the air, which told Matt that today must've only been the day after the accident. However, this information that Matt might have appreciated a few moments ago seemed insignificant as the moisture had obviously been dissipating as the day went along and the danger Totodile was in grew larger.

Matt grabbed the near exhausted Totodile and took off at a sprint. Although to where, he didn't know. All he knew was that he had to get there as fast as he could. But no sooner than he had started that his foot snagged onto something and he fell face-forward into the grass, Totodile falling from his arms in the grass before him. He sat up on his knees, wiping the dirt from his face, and looked around to see he was in a clearing.

It was what lined the trees around the clearing that made him gasp. Silky webs of numerous designs glimmering in the bright sunlight were draped from the high branches. His stomach lurched as he saw countless dead bug Pokemon dotted throughout the webbing. "Must be a Spinarak nest," he stated to himself under his breath as he stood up and walked toward the exhausted Totodile. "But there's no sign of any. I'd better get out."

He turned around to leave the clearing and jumped as what met his nervous green eyes were curious dark purple ones attached to the body of an unnaturally large, red spider. The Pokemon cocked its head, a sheen sparkling across the single threatening horn on its forehead. Matt noticed one of its legs was perched on the outer string of a web near the path he had come from. "Crap," he thought. "That Ariados must've felt when my foot hit the web." He felt his body cringe as the Pokemon sprung into the air at an amazing height, leaping over him and landing behind him in the middle of the clearing. "We're dead if that thing attacks," He looked down helplessly at Totodile and turned around to make for the opening.

Ariados opened the pincers on its mouth and strings of sticky silk flung from it, attaching to the trees in front of Matt and falling to the ground to form a barrier blocking him from escaping. "Ariados's Spider Web attack," Matt realized with a scowl. "We can't escape!" He turned around to face the bug Pokemon and felt something move against his chest. Before he could look down, Totodile leapt out of his arms and landed on the ground between them.

"You want to fight?" Matt asked. Totodile responded by a nod but Matt could still make out a hint of debility in the water Pokemon's determined eyes. He surveyed the scene before him and even though he didn't want Totodile to fight in its fatigue, if they didn't fight Ariados would kill them anyway. "Alright," Matt sighed and looked at Ariados with fierce eyes replacing the worried ones he wore just a second ago. "Let's start with a Leer attack."

Totodile glared at Ariados right in the eyes. To the giant bug Pokemon, a flash seemed to issue from the glance. For a second it was stunned and staggered backwards. Totodile had already leapt into the air to strike it in the face with a Scratch attack. Ariados retaliated by lunging the claws on its back toward its opponent in an attempt to grab it in its approach. But to its surprise, Totodile leaned back in midair and kicked off the spider's face, sending itself flying back and evading the attack. Ariados crouching over in an Agility maneuver, preparing to strike Totodile with its Poison Sting before it landed. It lunged forward but just as before, Totodile kicked against the ground to rebound back into the air and Ariadios instead collided head on with a tree.

Unbeknownst to Matt or either of the combatants in the clearing, a man in a traveling cloak and boots was watching from the outside, sitting on the back of an Arcanine. "That kid really knows what he's doing," he thought. "Normally, a Totodile wouldn't be able to outrun an Ariados. But that Totodile's hind legs are pretty strong, and that kid is taking advantage of it. With the force of those kicks, Totodile is able to jump almost two seconds faster than it could normally, increasing its speed by nearly twenty percent to over that of Ariados's." He pulled the hood of his traveling cloak off his head, revealing a stock of spiky brown hair and inquisitive eyes that matched. "Incredible," he sighed.

"Keep it up, Totodile!" Matt cheered and punched a fist through the air. "Now hit it with a Water Gun!" Totodile opened its mouth but nothing came out. "Oh, no," Matt thought, biting his thumb nail nervously. "Totodile is becoming too dehydrated." Totodile looked back with a disappointed stare. But Ariados was already on the attack, lunging toward the water Pokemon with another Poison Sting. Totodile was caught off guard and flung into the air by the assault. Matt smirked. "Sorry you had to take the hit, Totodile, but Ariados has fallen into our trap again," he thought.

However, his eyes widened as Ariados's pincers opened again to release a strand of webbing toward Totodile. But Totodile kicked off a tree and avoided the attack. Another String Shot was avoided on the ground, as were several to follow. "This is bad," Matt thought as he watched the battle. "Ariados won't let up and Totodile is tiring out. At this rate, Totodile won't be able to continue the match."

Continuing to dodge the attacks, Totodile made for another jump but didn't move. Matt gasped as he saw Totodile's foot was stuck in webbing left from one of the many String Shot attacks. "So this was Ariados's true aim," he thought as he noticed the clearing was covered in silk. "Totodile can't move!" He scowled and Ariados released more String Shot to cover Totodile and hold it in place.

Then the bug Pokemon's eyes glowed with a dark light as it sent a sinister ray of energy toward the trapped Totodile. "The deadly Night Shade attack," Matt thought as he helplessly watched Totodile suffer from the attack. "Totodile can't take much more." It was then that he noticed a light glistening from the silk that held the water Pokemon in place. "Of course, silk has moisture regain," he observed. "The heat from the sun is causing the moisture to escape. It's not enough for an attack, but we still have a chance."

"Totodile, use Water Gun!" he commanded. Ariados, startled by the call, stopped its attack and Totodile immediately opened its mouth and a small spray of water issued from it, dampening the webbing. The water Pokemon struggled until its bindings finally snapped. "Too bad, Ariados, silk is weakened by water," Matt said. "Now, Totodile, finish it off with Rage attack!" Totodile lunged forward and rammed into Ariados's head, causing the bug Pokemon to recoil and collapse, fainted.

"You did it, Totodile, you won!" Matt cheered and ran to the water Pokemon's side. Totodile gave Matt a victory sign with its claws and fell over, panting. Matt dropped to his knees and picked it up to see that it had fallen asleep. "Better get out of here before anything else happens," he thought and looked at the webs blocking their path. "But how can I get out?"

"Ember, Arcanine," the robed man said as the dog Pokemon opened its mouth and let loose a spew of flame that consumed the barrier. Matt jumped in shock at this as the duo came into the view of the opening they had made. "That was a good match," the man said, smiling. "But it looks like your Totodile is in bad shape. If you want a ride out, hop on." He patted Arcanine's back behind him.

"Who is this guy?" Matt wondered to himself as he surveyed the man. "Can I trust him?" He looked down at the Totodile in critical condition in his arms. "I have no choice." He nodded and, after handing Totodile up to the man, pulled himself up behind him. After handing Totodile back, the man gave a whistle and Arcanine took off down a trail into the forest. It was after a minute or so before the man broke the silence. "You were pretty impressive in there, using that kick jump to increase Totodile's speed," he said.

"What?" Matt replied drearily as if being snapped out of a sleep. He was so worried about Totodile he hadn't registered what the man had said so he repeated himself. "Oh, that," Matt said. "Totodile was already tired from being in the sun for so long, so I knew if it stopped moving, its muscles would tighten and restrict its movement. I was pretty worried when Totodile was caught by that String Shot, but it seemed Totodile was still able to do one last attack. Since Rage increases its power if the user had already been damaged, I figured it was our only hope without a decent Water Gun attack."

Arcanine's trainer didn't say anything. "He was able to keep calm in such a situation to think his way through it," he thought to himself. "If he had panicked, they might have really been in trouble." He turned back to Matt and spoke again. "Why don't you put Totodile in its Pokeball and get it out of the sun?" he said.

"Oh, I don't have a Pokeball," he said, looking away from the man's eyes. He told the man about everything that had happened since the accident of the night before up to when he encountered Ariados.

"You mean to tell me you controlled that Totodile so well and you aren't its trainer?" the man said and laughed. "You're something else, kid."

"So what if I'm not a trainer?" Matt replied. "I've seen plenty of Pokemon matches on TV, I know how to battle."

"Huh, so otherwise he's had virtually no experience training Pokemon," the man thought. "To be able to battle like that, his instincts are truly incredible." He looked over his shoulder again. "So, kid, you got a name?" he said.

"Matt Roy," Matt answered. "And yours?"

"Blue," the man said simply.

"Blue?" Matt replied, mulling the name over in his mind and then gasped. "You're not the legendary grandson of Professor Oak?"

Blue smiled. "Ah, so you've heard of me," he said and looked forward as the trees became fewer and farther apart. Soon enough, the light erupted before them as they burst from the forest. After adjusting his eyes to the brightness, Matt saw skyscrapers reach to the clouds that spotted the air above. The quiet of the forest, bar some chirping birds and swaying leaves, had been replaced by honking horns and raised voices. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Viridian City," Blue answered. "There's a Pokemon Center downtown that can take care of Totodile." Matt climbed off of Arcanine's back and thanked Blue. With a wave, they took off in different directions.

Matt walked down a sidewalk filled to the brim with people, carrying shopping backs, trying to keep their children in check, talking on cell phones, and some even had Pokemon with them. A Machoke and its muscular trainer were making poses for a small applauding crowd, a triad of kids was throwing a ball for a Flareon, and a Poliwrath was carrying boxes into a store while an Abra sitting against the building used its telekinesis to assist it. However, Matt felt so out of place as several eyes wandered over to the exhausted Pokemon in his arms.

The streets were lined with gigantic buildings. Matt's gaze moved from billboard to sign and back again as he walked through the city. He felt trapped in a maze of steel, barely able to see the sky, unlike his small hometown of Pallet where several houses dotted the plains along with a few businesses. After passing several shops such as a department store and salon, he soon came to one bearing a broad sign with the bold letters "Pokemon Center" and emblazoned with a Pokeball with a red cross.

The glass doors slid open automatically in front of him and he walked onto a clean, green tiled floor. There were booths on either side where many people sat, talked, ate, read, and other activities. One trainer was haughtily showing off his Sandshrew's tough hide to another trainer with a Squirtle in his arms.

He walked up to the counter where the nurse in a pink skirt was talking with a police officer adorned in blue uniform. "Well, it was nice talking with you, Officer Jenny," the nurse said as Matt walked up to the counter. She turned to face him with a smile and said, "I'm Nurse Joy, how can I help you?"

"My Totodile is a bit worn out," Matt answered, sitting the panting Pokemon up on the counter. Joy picked it up and looked over it for a bit and checked its pulse.

"Don't worry," she said finally. "It's lost a lot of water, but we can fix that. Then we'll just keep it in the recovery room for the night." She then held a hand forward. "Could I have its Pokeball?"

"Sorry, I don't have one," Matt answered uncertainly. He noticed the two woman's suspicious looks. "Is that a problem?"

"Normally a trainer keeps his Pokemon in their Pokeballs," the officer said. "Without a Pokeball, you can't really prove it's yours. Let me see your license."

Matt's heart skipped a beat as a bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. "I don't have that, either," he said with a hint of nervousness.

"Young man, do you realize you're handling Pokemon illegally?" the officer said, leaning over so her face was directly in front of his. He gulped as she stood up straight again "Joy, take care of the Totodile for now, and then we'll take it to Professor Oak's Lab." She looked back at Matt. "I'll take the boy to the detention center."


	2. Recoup

_Dear mom and dad,_

_It's been about a week since I wrote you about my arrest, hasn't it? Sorry, I haven't had much time to myself. They keep us quite busy at the detention center here in Viridian City. Teachers from the local schools come in and hold classes and we also have recreation periods where we're released for exercise (under supervision, of course). The food's not bad and the conditions are livable. If there was one thing I would complain about, it's the cold floor we sleep in sleeping bags on._

_Anyway, we may be able to see each other in a few days. I'm part of the group that's being taken to Pallet this weekend for community service. I think the officer said something about helping the aides at Professor Oak's lab. We should be there by about nine in the morning on Saturday, so if you want to drop by, I'll be looking for you._

_Love,_

_Matt_

Matt yawned and stretched lazily as he looked out the window of the bus taking them to Pallet Town. The terrain was mostly plains dotted with trees here and there. There wasn't much movement except the occasional Rattata scurrying across the grassland. Matt could just make out the peak of the Tohjo mountain range where, just over a week ago, that fateful accident had occurred that led to his meeting with Totodile and eventual arrest.

His thoughts wandered to the jolly water Pokemon. The officer said it had been sent to Professor Oak's lab. He wondered if he would see Totodile today. He freshly remembered the thrill of the battle against Ariados. He wanted to taste that feeling again. He wanted to see Totodile again. But as always, as he sat in that bus gazing lamely at the sky, true freedom felt as far and unreachable as ever from his grasp.

"Yo, Matt, what's up?" The words interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see a tall, moderately muscular boy sit down next to him. He had short black hair, blue eyes, and wore an unzipped black leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up and blue jeans. Despite his rather threatening facial demeanor that left many not wanting to get near him, Matt was none too fazed and thus he took a surprising liking to the ten-year-old.

"Not much, Rocky," Matt replied and faced the window again. "I'm just thinking."

"As always," Rocky said with a hearty laugh. Matt didn't need to explain, Rocky knew what it was about since Matt had told him the reason for his arrest. Today was the first time since the incident that Matt might see that Totodile. He guessed Matt might be feeling a bit insulted to be faced with such an opportunity, as if the officers were taunting him.

It was only a ten minute trip before the bus came rolling into the tiny village of Pallet. Although it lived in the shadow of Viridian City, it was a famous town for sprouting great Pokemon trainers. The obvious reason behind this was the world renowned Pokemon expert Samuel Oak. This professor personally trained those he licensed so they were well experienced by the time they started their adventures. Among these were two of the most successful trainers of all time; Red and Blue.

The familiar households of the small town met Matt's sight on the horizon. Curious eyes turned to the bus from passersby busy with their morning commune about the businesses in the middle of town. A jolt of guilt shot through his body as he looked back into the faces of his many acquaintances. It was, after all, one of those "everybody knows everybody" places. He never thought of this trip as showing up for the first time since the accident in his hometown as a criminal. He felt relieved as the bus carried them farther through town where a large ranch sat on the outskirts.

Professor Oak's lab had always been a precious part of Matt's childhood. Although he didn't know the expert personally, he would hang around outside the fences and watch all the Pokemon the scientists there were training. He looked around and saw a group of Snorlax fast asleep at the foot of a tree on which a Mankey was eating an apple. Nearby, there was a small pond connected to a river leading to the sea that took up most of south western Kanto. A pair of Seadra was keeping watch over a bunch of Horsea splashing around in the water. Farther into the ranch, a hoard of Tauros was grazing while Nidoran of both genders and Doduo ran around and through their legs. Oddish and Tangela were resting in the shade of the tallest tree in the ranch while Sandshrew were lying in the sun.

The bus came to a stop at the entrance to the ranch and the juveniles filed out. The three officers that came along to keep them in order split them into groups each lead by one of Oak's aides to tend to one of the many Pokemon within the fencing. Matt was placed into a group of four along with Rocky to feed the Tangela.

"Dude, where's its mouth?" Rocky asked with a laugh as he held a handful of Pokemon food in front of one. A look of shock burst from his face as a couple vines from the grass Pokemon's body came out and grabbed the food, pulling it into the abyss where only its eyes could be seen. Rocky staggered back a bit.

The aide laughed at his reaction. "Nobody quite knows what the body of a Tangela looks like beneath all those vines," he said.

The morning went by rather quickly and the sun crept up through the clear sky, causing the laboratory to cast its shadow across the path leading from the gates. Matt was just returning with a package he had been sent to pick up from the PokeMart for the professor. A couple groups were heading toward him that were assigned to walk the Growlithe. Some were noticeably having trouble as their Growlithe started chasing and nipping at each other. One was even pulled off his feet and lost his grip on the leach, causing the aide to have to run after the loose dog Pokemon.

Matt pushed open the double doors at the front of the building and walked onto clean white tiling. A table and chairs had been placed in the middle of the room where his group was eating a lunch prepared by a few of the detention center's cooks that came along. After returning the greeting from Rocky, who spoke through a mouthful of ham sandwich, he placed the package on a counter and sat down to eat.

But before he could even grab a sandwich and water bottle, Rocky stood up. "Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom," he said and the aide nodded to let him go. Rocky nudged an elbow into Matt's back before he disappeared around the corner into a hallway, causing Matt to choke on the bread he had just swallowed. Matt waited a couple minutes, finishing his sandwich, and then asked to be excused himself.

"About time," Rocky said, leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door.

"Sorry, if I left right after you, the aide might not have let me go," Matt answered, walking down the hall. "So what's up?"

"That," Rocky answered simply, pointing at a pair of sliding glass doors at the end of the hallway. Matt raised an eyebrow curiously, his look at Rocky asking the question for him. "It's where they keep the Pokemon of trainers. Maybe Totodile's there."

Matt jumped at this. "You can't be serious?" he said, but Rocky nodded. He nervously watched Rocky walk down the hall and gulped before following him. The doors slid open right in front of them. After Rocky poked his head in to see that no one was there, he gestured for Matt to follow him. The walls had shelves of Pokeballs on either side. Slips of paper were attached to the top shelves at regular intervals alphabetically labeling the Pokemon contained there.

They walked down the long room and came to the T section, the Pokeballs glittering in the sunlight that poured in through the windows at the end. Looking closer, Matt noticed each Pokeball was labeled with the name of the Pokemon and its trainer. Several of the Pokeballs contained Totodile. He quickly noticed one labeled "confiscated" in bold lettering and picked it up off the cold steel shelf, his heart beating rapidly.

"Alright, I'll head back," Rocky said, surprising Matt who had almost forgotten he was there too. "You wait a bit. It'll be dangerous to return at the same time." Matt nodded and watched Rocky disappear behind the sliding glass doors. He looked back at the Pokeball in his hands, hardly believing Totodile was in his possession once again. He slipped the ball into his pocket, dreadfully feeling that a hole was ready to swallow it up. But he shook the feeling away and he walked through the doors and down the hall.

And then he stepped into the hole.

What met him as he turned the corner was an elderly face screwed into an upset expression. Professor Oak towered above him with a pair of aides behind him. "Young man, you've landed yourself in a ton of trouble," he said. "You didn't think there weren't security cameras in that room, did you?" He stretched a hand forward. "I'll take that Pokemon back now."

Matt looked around and noticed Rocky and the rest of his group was gone. "Where is everyone?" he asked, looking at the professor with indifferent eyes.

"That's none of your concern. Now, just return that Pokemon you took."

"No," Matt said simply, surprising even himself with this unexplainable temperament. "This Totodile is mine and I won't just hand it over." He pulled the Pokeball out of his pocket and pressed the bottom in the middle to enlarge it, causing the confiscated label on it to tear in half and fall to the floor. "You'll have to defeat me for it."

Oak raised an eyebrow and considered Matt with a gaze of amusement. "Well, if you're sure," he said, scratching his chin. "If I win, you will return Totodile to us and your time at the detention center will be increased for this. We'll battle out back." With that, he started walked toward the exit of the lab.

"If I win," Matt interrupted. "I'll keep Totodile and you'll give me a full pardon."

The professor stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Don't get cocky now," he said as his aides began a laugh. "You should realize a novice like you has no chance against an expert."

"Who said not to get cocky?" Matt replied. The professor silently headed out the door, Matt following in his tracks along with the two aides.

Eyes followed the group from the juveniles around the ranch as they trekked toward the back of the building. The grass had been trimmed to mark boundary lines and look like one of the arenas Matt had seen on TV. Some trees stood around the makeshift arena that provided shade on the battlefield. Matt and Professor Oak took their places in the trainer boxes marked on either side as the aids took to opposite sidelines to judge.

"Alright, Totodile, here we go!" Matt yelled as he threw the Pokeball to the center of the arena. The ball burst open on contact with the meadow and released a flash of white light that took the form of the alligator Pokemon and faded.

The professor pulled a Pokeball of his own out of a pocket on his lab coat and tossed it in front of Totodile. "Against your Pokemon, I choose Nidorina," he declared and a light blue dinosaur-like Pokemon with a back lined with spikes appeared, its large ears flicking as it flexed its fists. The poison Pokemon looked at Totodile through dangerous red eyes as its opponent started jumping. 'The kick jump,' Oak thought and thrust his arm forward. "Nidorina, Tackle it!"

Nidorina nodded and lunged forward. Totodile kicked off the ground but Nidorina was already slamming into it, the force of the attack sending it flying back a few feet and landing on its back in the grass. Before Totodile could get back on its feet, Nidorina was again sending it into the sky with a consecutive Tackle attack.

Matt growled as Nidorina was getting ready for yet another attack while Totodile was still airborne. "Totodile, use Water Gun!" he cried and the water Pokemon opened its jaws to let loose a stream of water toward the ground, holding it up as Nidorina zoomed by, expecting Totodile to have landed at that moment. It skidded to a halt and turned around to see it land gracefully on its feet. Matt ordered another Water Gun attack, this time at Nidorina, but before the attack could hit, Nidorina bound to the side.

"How scary," one of the aides said. "Professor Oak has trained that Nidorina to have particularly strong hind legs. By kicking the ground with both feet, it increases the speed of its movement and even the power of its Tackle. It seems like that kid was going for the same thing, but it's just not strong enough. The professor's not going to let him land even one attack."

Totodile continued sending Water Gun after Water Gun to no avail as Nidorina still dashed around the field. A quarter of an hour had passed with neither Pokemon giving in. It was Professor Oak who finally broke the sequence. "Enough of this," he said. "Nidorina, use your Double Kick!" The poison pin Pokemon ducked down to dodge a Water Gun and lunged forward. It flung Totodile into the air with its head and as the surprised water Pokemon descended, Nidorina struck it with two rapid kicks with its hind legs, sending it flying across the arena.

"And that's it," the other aide said clenching a fist triumphantly. "Nothing can survive such a powerful Double Kick attack, especially with all the damage it had already taken." The area fell silent as everyone's eyes were on the motionless Totodile collapsed on its back.

Oak folded his arms and smiled. "Well, are you ready to surrender?" he said. "You didn't have a chance from the…start?" He gasped as his eyes fell on Totodile, who was slowing sitting up. Without hesitation he commanded another Double Kick. Nidorina obeyed and ran forward.

"Totodile, use Water Gun!" Matt cried, causing everyone to jump. Totodile's eyes burst open as he let loose a mighty stream of water, Nidorina charging right toward it.

Professor Oak laughed. "Did you think Nidorina can't change directions while it's running?" he said. "You're too naïve! Nidorina, show him your kick step!" The running Pokemon quickly kicked the ground with its hind legs, making a quick motion to the side, but it was instantly pulled back as the water surged across its body.

"What's going on?" Oak cried in frustration. But before he could think, Totodile had gotten to its feet and lunged toward Nidorina, slamming into it with a Rage attack. It was then that he noticed his Pokemon's hind legs buried in mud. "So that's it. Those Water Gun attacks weren't meant to hit Nidorina, but to get the ground wet. You planned on Nidorina getting stuck in the mud!"

Matt laughed. "You got that right," he said and turned to the first aide that had spoken with a grin. "Hey, didn't you say I wouldn't even get in one attack?" The aide scowled at this comment.

"It's not over yet!" Oak said and Matt looked at Nidorina to see it had freed its legs from the earth. "I think it's about time I show you my Pokemon's ultimate technique. Use Fissure, Nidorina!" Matt's eyes widened as he watched the poison Pokemon lift its rear end into the air. It sent its hind legs thrusting toward the ground at blinding speed. Totodile flinched, prepared for the force of the attack. After a couple seconds, it lowered its arms to see Nidorina struggling with its legs in the ground again.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Oak with his face beaming in confidence. "The ground is too soft for that, professor," he said. Then Totodile dashed toward Nidorina with its head lowered. It collided with the enemy sending it flying back and skidding to stop on its feet.

Professor Oak smiled. "I'll have to thank you for that," he said. "I'll finish this with a Fissure attack!" Matt watched on, confused. Nidorina leapt into the air and thrust a kick down with one foot into the grass. On contact, the ground began to tremble. It cracked from Nidorina's foot over to Totodile. Land flew into the air along with the water Pokemon, hurtling toward Matt who held his arms out to catch it. Totodile landed in his arms, dazed.

"But, how did it work?" Matt wondered aloud and watched as Nidorina stepped aside. A boulder was lodged into the dirt, the top of it shattered. "So," he said, looking down. "That rock acted as a sort of conductor to send a shockwave below the damp ground to where it was harder. But by being deeper, the attack lost power." He frowned as he looked down at his fainted Pokemon. "Imagine it at full strength."

The two aides started clapping. Matt looked up, confused, as a third pair of hands joined in the applause. Soon Professor Oak was accompanied by everyone in the area who had been watching.

---

The setting sun dyed the room in bright orange. Matt was once again sitting in the lobby of Professor Oak's lab. He looked out the window to see the bus slowly pick up speed as it took the other juveniles back to the detention center in Viridian City.

It had been a set-up all along. After being told of him by his grandson Blue, Professor Oak had one of his aides ambiguously tell Rocky about the Pokemon storage room by talking about it to another aide who, unbeknownst it was intentional, tried to keep him quiet about it. They expected this to lead to Rocky taking Matt there, so they waited for him to show up on their security cameras and then catch him. They had acted as if he was in trouble to get him to battle seriously.

His thoughts were interrupted at the squeak of the door as the professor walked in from one of the lab's computer rooms. Matt noticed a small red, rectangular object glisten in his hand. "It's done," he said, holding it forward. "You've been officially registered to the Pokemon League. This Pokedex contains your license, information on the known species of Pokemon, receives daily news from the League headquarters at Indigo Plateau, and you can use it to keep in contact with me if you ever need anything."

"Thanks, professor," Matt said, accepting the device. He pressed the yellow button that opened the lid up. A small screen was on the top half with speakers on both sided and a miniature keyboard took up the bottom half. He closed it again and pocketed it before looking up to the professor. "There is one thing I was wondering," he said and stood up. "I'd like to train my Totodile to use that kick step you showed us in our match."

Oak smiled and laughed a bit. "Very well," he said. "But it's not something you can teach your Pokemon in an instant. I'll help you get started, though. We'll meet on Route 1 tomorrow morning." He walked over to the window and looked out. Matt did too and saw a familiar black car driving along the road toward the ranch. "Looks like your family's here to pick you up."

"Thanks, professor," Matt said and with a wave, he walked out the door.


End file.
